Projected Inactive List Divisional Playoffs

[Stryker]

Looks like another fairly healthy week. Only Green and Chickillo are ruled out with Toussaint and Mathews questionable. None are starters, though Green and Mathews provide good depth and playmaking when they are in the game. The other 2 are strictly special teams players and emergency depth at this point in the playoffs.

Here's how I see this week's list shaping up for Sunday night:

1 Zack Mettenberger Healthy Scratch 3rd QB inactive
2 Anthony Chickillo Ankle Ruled Out
3 LaDarius Green Concussion Protocol Ruled Out
4 Fitzgerald Toussaint Concussion Protocol Questionable. Since he hasn't practiced fully and he's in protocol, I'd say he probably sits this week.
5 Ricardo Mathews Ankle Questionable. The Steelers can use Mathews on Sunday. It's always good to have more players for depth, however he didn't practice on Wed or Thu, and also was limited on Fri. Though playing Sunday is a possibility, I'd feel much more confident for him being active if he practiced fully on Friday.
6 Brian Mihalik Healthy Scratch. Oline is healthy and Brian is depth.
7 Al-Hijj Shabazz Healthy Scratch Justin Gilbert will be active, so Shabazz depth and ST snaps won't be needed.

The 7th spot is a bit muddled this week as the Steelers are getting healthier. I'd say Maxey is an option, but not if Mathews is sitting. LJ Fort is another option. He only had 5 ST snaps last weekend. He's starting to lose ST snaps to Jarvis and Moats.

Still a few moving parts. Make your best guess and win some karma!

 

[topseed]

Green is the starting tight end when he's healthy.

 

[wig]

You're kidding topseed?

How many games has Green "started" this season?

How does 3, maybe 4 games make him the "Starter"?

Sorry man. He's just passin' through.

 

[Stryker]

Honestly, If Green was 100% healthy, he would be the starter. But he hasn't started more than 3 games this season. Even when he plays, he's usually on the field with another TE (usually Jessie James). They also were using Green a lot at the Z receiver position when Coates and DHB were hurt, and before Hamilton started making plays.

My point is we don't rely on Green to be a starter, since he's been unreliable this season.

 

[SteelerSask2]

Your assessment is accurate Cope and won't be more than one player off. I'd put Ayers at KR and under certain circumstances let him bring it out.

 

[CoolieMan]

Your assessment is accurate Cope and won't be more than one player off. I'd put Ayers at KR and under certain circumstances let him bring it out.

if it is kicked short of the end zone..run with it but protect the ball

if is is in the end zone, kneel down......

 

[FAB802]

Green has caught 18 passes all season. He's not that big a loss for me. It was worth a shot, it just didn't work out.

 

[SteelerSask2]

if it is kicked short of the end zone..run with it but protect the ball

if is is in the end zone, kneel down......

Which should be the rule for all of them. Toussant has been caught between a couple times in the last few weeks and they end up at the 15. So long as Ayers can secure the ball, at least he has some shake to him. Toussant is just not meant for this job in my opinion.

 

[SteveA]

Toussant is just not meant for this job in my opinion.

Since he lost the fumble against the Broncos he hasn't done much....Now he was doing good until he lost the rock...But it cost us.

Shades of Mendenhall against the Pack.....Game changer

 

[topseed]

You're kidding topseed?

How many games has Green "started" this season?

How does 3, maybe 4 games make him the "Starter"?

Sorry man. He's just passin' through.

No, not kidding.

Green was the starting tight end on December 18th against the Bengals. He got hurt during that game. Now James is the starter again.

Sorry, man, it's not that hard to figure out.

 

[Stainless]

It never sucks to have your best players on the field and I think Green is clearly the best tight end on our roster. Relatively speaking it may not seem like a huge loss simply because he hasn't been able to play much, but it would have certainly helped if he could play. In 6 games he has 34 fewer receiving yards than James had in 16. Green's best game was 110 yards, while James managed to post a single game best of 59. Green beat that number in 3 of the 6 games he played.

 

[F83]

the 2 returners on kr should be Gilbert and Coates, Hamilton is a possession receiver which marginal breakaway speed, no reason he should be returning kicks.

 

[TDX27]

Tomlin said Coates will be returning kicks. He sucks almost as bad. He always comes out of the endzone. No matter who is back there, if the ball is in the endzone, stay there, period. Never come out. Returners almost never get back to even the 20, let alone the 25.

 

[Drink IRON City]

if it is kicked short of the end zone..run with it but protect the ball

if is is in the end zone, kneel down......

Pretty simple but VERY doable. Ayers needs to be able to field KOs and maybe work up to PRs. Ayers will be our PR man next year and will dictate his KO returns or kneel downs.




Salute the nation

 

[CoolieMan]

Pretty simple but VERY doable. Ayers needs to be able to field KOs and maybe work up to PRs. Ayers will be our PR man next year and will dictate his KO returns or kneel downs.




Salute the nation

Gilbert is more likely to be back with Coates today. While I think Ayers is more than capable of taking on the KR duties, many would lose their minds if Tomlin puts a rookie out there for the first time returning kicks in the divisional round of the playoffs on a cold, rainy day.

Ayers ankle injury in training camp held him back on his PR attempts. Hopefully he is healthy next training camp and can take that job away from AB...he may not be better than AB but if he is very close, AB can let those duties go..hell they kick away from him all the time anyway so he does not get much of a shot anymore.

 

[CoolieMan]

Steelers Inactives
No. 18 - QB Zach Mettenberger
No. 20 - CB Al-Hajj Shabazz
No. 33 - RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
No. 56 - LB Anthony Chickillo
No. 69 - T Brian Mihalik
No. 89 - TE Ladarius Green
No. 90 - DE Ricardo Mathews

 

[hook]

10 bucks says Coates fumbles a KR tonite.

Sorry, I have no confidence in this guy.

 

[Stryker]

Steelers Inactives
No. 18 - QB Zach Mettenberger
No. 20 - CB Al-Hajj Shabazz
No. 33 - RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
No. 56 - LB Anthony Chickillo
No. 69 - T Brian Mihalik
No. 89 - TE Ladarius Green
No. 90 - DE Ricardo Mathews

Looks like I hit it, but I do wish we had Mathews tonight. Would be nice to have Green but there was no chance he was playing.

 

[Steelers17]

Green has caught 18 passes all season. He's not that big a loss for me. It was worth a shot, it just didn't work out.

We bought expensive damaged goods that are not returnable.

 

[topseed]

Great time for Jesse James to step up with a big game!

Ladarius Who?

 

[CoolieMan]

We bought expensive damaged goods that are not returnable.

could be worse....the Texans bought Osweiler.....for a **** ton more money....


this is why I am not against staying out of high priced free agency.....